Grating mats for floors



March 12, 1957 s. w. LARSVALL 2,784,464

GRATING MATS FOR FLOORS Filed Dec. 22, 1952 INVENTOR WWW mm.

United States Patent GRATING MATS FOR FLOORS Stan Wilhelm Larsvall, Brevik, Lidingo, Sweden Application December 22, 1952, Serial No. 327,367

2 Claims. (Cl. 20-78.6)

This invention relates to a grating or mat for floors of the type comprising a plurality of parallelly spaced, stiff and preferably somewhat resilient ribs or rods held together by a number of flexible and preferably elastical bands, cords or the like extending transversely to said ribs or rods.

Gratings or mats of this type are commonly used in bath rooms, laundries and like wet localities where it is desirable to provide a walking platform above the wet floor, but they are also used in workshops to provide a resilient and more comfortable platform for the workers at their machines.

The main object of the invention is to provide a grating or mat of the type defined which contacts and rests on the underlying fioor in a plurality of spaced spots only thus allowing liquid to How freely in any direction underneath it. Another object of the invention is to provide a grating as defined wherein the individual ribs or rods are relatively free to move or tilt so that they will form a smooth and non-fatiguing support for the feet of a worker. A further object of the invention is to obtain these advantages in an uncomplicated manner without using a large number of bands or cords. Besides, the invention makes it possible to dispense with cramps or nails on the bottom side of the grating ribs to fasten the bands or cords, which means a great advan tage, as such nails may, among other things, jeopardize the elasticity of the contact or supporting cushions of the grating.

The invention will be described more closely in the following text, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates some embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a grating according to the invention as viewed obliquely from below in perspective and sectionized on a line with one of the cords holding the ribs together.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are cross sections of differently formed ribs for gratings according to the invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a grating rib turned up side-down to illustrate how the rib may be designed to facilitate the manufacture of the grating.

Fig. 6 is, like Fig. 5, a perspective view of rib turned upside-down and provided with a special locking means to simplify the fastening of the cord to the rib.

Fig. 7 shows a cross section of a rib intended for use in a door mat.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 1 in Fig. l designates the parallel ribs of a grating or mat and 2 designates cords of rubber or the like of circular cross section, which, extending transversally relative the longitudinal direction of the ribs 1, hold the ribs together. The cords are running through holes 3 in the ribs 1, which holes extend obliquely downwards from each side face of the rib to its lower face and open up on the lower ribs face at some distance from one another. Consequently, the parts of the cords 2 located between the ribs will lie on a level between the upper and lower faces 2,784,464 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 of the ribs, while a short bit of the cord will lie free along the lower face of each rib and form elastical supports 4. Thus each rib 1 will rest against for instance a floor, on which the grating is placed, by means of a plurality of such elastical supports 4, and these supports are located substantially in the centre relative the width of each single rib.

The rib 5 shown in Fig. 2 has a substantially T-shaped cross section and the ribs in the grating are thought to be interconnected by means of rubber bands 6 with a lying rectangular cross section. The rubber bands 6 are running in wave-shape down to the lower face of the rib where it forms an elastical support 7. The bands are caused to follow the lower contour of the rib 5 and are fastened to the rib by means of an edge list nailed or otherwise secured to the rib 5 on each side of the elastical support 7.

In Fig. 3 the rib 10 is of substantially rectangular cross section along the larger part of its length but in the places where the grating ribs are crossed by the cords 11 interconnecting them, recesses 12 are provided in the lower side edges of the ribs, so that here the rib profile becomes trapezoidal or triangular. The cord 11, which follows the lower contour of the rib 10, thus runs down under the lower rib face in wave shape to form an elastical support 13 approximately at the middle of the rib width. The cord 11 is secured to the rib with cramps 14, which are placed in the recesses 12 in order not to ex tend below the lower face of the rib 10.

The rib 15 shown in Fig. 4 has a substantially U-shaped cross section opening up towards the liner. Each of the profile shanks is provided with a through-passing hole 16 receiving a hose-shaped rubber cord 17. A rod 18 with substantially trapezoidal cross section is inserted between the shanks of the rib 15 with its narrower side turned downwards. The hose 17 is passed over this nar rower rod side to form the elastical support 19 which carries the rib 15.

If it is desired to make a mat as shown in Fig. l but without passing the rubber cord 2 through holes in the rib, the latter may be given the shape disclosed in Fig. 5. This figure shows a rib 20 with obliquely throughpassing holes 21, corresponding to the holes 3 in Fig. l but slotted at 22 all along their length towards the re spective lower side edges of the rib 20. The outer side edges of the slots are provided with a bevel 23. Due to this slot a rubber cord or still better a rubber hose is easily inserted transversally in the hole 21 while being stretched, and once in its place in the hole, the rubber cord or hose is let back to its normal length, thereby also increasing its thickness to the normal one so that it is retained in the hole. If desired, the slot may be closed by means of a drop of binding agent, a cramp or the like.

As an alternative, the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 may be used. In this embodiment, the rib 25 is provided on the lower side thereof with a transversal dovetail slot 26 receiving a locking body 27, which is of trapezoidal shape as viewed from the longitudinal side of the rib. The locking body 27 is provided with two side re cesses 28, 29 opening up towards opposite sides of the dovetail slot, these side recesses are closed by the material of the rib 25, but while the said body is still loose. a rubber cord is easily inserted therein. As the recesses are open in opposite directions, the cord will lie steady in the locking body.

Fig. 7 discloses diagrammatically the application of the invention to a door mat. The numeral 30 designates a rib of wooden material or the like, 31 is a longitudinally extending rubber ridge projecting from the top of the rib, 32 is a rubber cord holding the mat ribs 30 together and extending in wave line, and 3-3 is the elastical support formed by the rubber cord on the lower face of the rib.

Obviously the spirit of the invention may be utilized also in other ways than described above, and thus the invention is not confined to the embodiments thereof dis closed in text and drawing By way of example, the bands or the cords may also consist of rubber-like materials such as polyviuylchloride.

Of course the cords or bands may also be of some other flexible material such as rope, yarn, wire or the like, and if in these cases the elasticity of the supporting cushions formed by the strings under the ribs is insuflicient, a bit of a rubber hose may be slipped on to the string under the rib.

[ claim:

I. In a floor mat the combination of a plurality of elongate. parallelly spaced, relatively stifi strips having a substantially rectangular cross section and providing the tread face of the mat, a plurality of separate, spaced flexible elements extending transversely to said strips for tying said strips together at a level substantially intermediate the upper and lower faces of said strips, a plurality of spaced supporting cushions under each of said strips,

said supporting cushions having an extent, counted across each related strips, which is smaller than the width of such strip, and passages for said flexible elements in said strips extending obliquely from the lateral faces of each strip to the bottom face thereof, said supporting cushions bcing formed by spaced portions of said flexible elements exposed on the bottom face of said strips, said flexible elements thus following a vertically undulated path across said strips.

2. In a floor mat the combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said passages are inclined holes through which the flexible elements are threaded.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 102,123 Herzog Apr. 19, 1870 1,835,825 Thierry Dec. 8, 1931 2,686,344 Van De Veer Aug. 17, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS l4,l16 Great Britain Oct. 25, 1884 

